Life Savers and Sweet Tarts
by TheJazz
Summary: Future Fic: Draco has turned good, and the world is at peace. Herm and he are married, but certain unknown circumstances arise and life takes a turn. [Complete, 16.12.2005]
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or am taking any royalties from JK Rowling (characters) or the Life Savers and Sweet Tarts companies. (I just thought the title was cute.)

**

* * *

**

So, to sum up how we get to this point of time:

It's after Hogwarts, Hermione and Draco are married. However, Hermione has saved Draco from a life of enslavement with Voldemort. At one point he was having second thoughts, and then Hermione pronounced her love for him, he has felt the same way since 7th year, and she takes him to the muggle world, changing his life forever. But when she does this, more than one person hates the idea and thinks she's just a no-good mudblood who shouldn't have taken Draco. This means that Hermione has a couple enemies. Now it's been two years since the saving, they have tried for a while to conceive, but one day Hermione comes back from the doctor with bad news.

* * *

'How was it?' he asked as I walked through the back door into our kitchen.

I shrugged. 'Could have been better.'

He turned around, spoon dripping tomato sauce on the floor as he looked at me.

'What do you mean?'

I sighed. I knew I had to tell him sooner or later. I knew he'd be crushed, knew that I would cry, knew that it would all soon be over. I didn't want to ruin today, so I shook my head.

'Not now,' I say, knowing by the look on his face that he was worried. 'What are you making?'

He smiled that smile. The one that I fell for in our last year. He knew it made me weak, too.

'Your favourite,' he said simply, and, still smiling, turned back to the stove.

I walked up behind him quietly, wrapping my arms around his waist. 'It smells wonderful,' I say, thankful that something has gone right today.

'Doesn't it always?' he asks indignantly, gently stirring it. It's amazing the homemaker he's become in captivity. My captivity. With Voldemort after him, we all think it's best for Draco to stay inside, much to his dismay. He only plays quidditch with Harry, who, thankfully, has made amends with Draco for my sake.

I let go of him, taking out the two plates for our dinner and setting the table.

'How much longer?' I ask, sounding more like a whining six year old than a grown twenty-one year old.

'Five minutes,' he replies patiently, used to this game I play.

'But I can't wait that long,' I say, putting the 'so-hungry-it's-painful' look on my face. He turns around, still stirring the sauce, to look at me with sad eyes. Or at least, they are supposed to be sad eyes.

'I'm sorry, Hermy, but it only cooks so fast.'

I pout, knowing that he'll put the spoon down and wrap me in a hug like all the times before.

He does, but this time he whispers in my ear.

'I love you.'

'I love you too,' I whisper back for what seems like the thousandth time. It never gets old though, and for that, I'm grateful.

'You know what?' he whispers.

'What?'

'The spaghetti's ready.'

'YES!'

And laughing, we eat it, right out of the pot, something we haven't done since our honey moon. The night seems to be filled only with the spaghetti, laughing, and kissing. It's something I never thought I would be doing with Draco Malfoy. But everything changes, sometimes for the better.

But also, sometimes for the worse.

As we sit on the couch, listening to my favourite jazz CD, he asks the question I've been dreading to hear.

'What did the doctor tell you?'

I sigh heavily, looking into his warm, loving, happy grey eyes, knowing that my next words would change them.

'It's not good news.'

'What isn't?' he asks, and I can clearly hear the worried tone of his voice, no matter how he tries to hide it, to be strong.

'I won't ever conceive,' I say quietly, looking away from him. I don't think I would be able to stand to see the disappointment in his eyes.

'So, we'll adopt then,' he says, trying to be optimistic, but I know it hurts him.

'That's not all,' I say, quieter still.

He stays quiet, so I just go ahead and say it.

'I only have six months left.'

'Until?'

I look up at him, and he reads the answer in my eyes. As he does, his own fill with tears.

'Oh, Hermione,' he whispers, pulling me close.

The tears finally fall from my own eyes, and we sit there like that until we both fall asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

I awake late in the morning. The sun is mercifully hidden behind the clouds this morning, and my head is no longer resting on Draco's chest. As I sit up, and see him sitting in the arm chair, reading the morning paper. It's the only way he knows what's happing in the world... besides from me. I sometimes wonder if he ever regrets coming with me, but he never wants to talk about it. I'm sure it haunts his dreams, but he'll never tell me.

He looks up as I rub the sleep out of my eyes.

'Good morning, sunshine.'

'Good morning,' I say, smiling sadly when I see the papers infront of him on the coffee table. 'Are those ...'

'I made you some breakfast,' he interrupts. Getting up, he walks into the kitchen. I watch him go, admiring the way he wears his sweats so ...

'I hope you still like lots of syrup on them,' he calls from the kitchen. I giggle, and he re-enters the living room carrying the same TV tray he's always used.

'Okay, I've never used this recipe yet, but I had some before you woke up, and I haven't felt any weird things going on in my stomach, so I figure –'

'Draco!' I say, as he's rambling, like he always does first thing in the morning. 'Just let me eat it.'

He smiles that smile, again, and I melt. Just like the butter has on these... pancakes? I look up at him confused.

'I was being creative,' he says shyly, shrugging.

'Creativity is a good thing,' I tell him, causing him to grin. I love it when he's happy.

I'm halfway done the pan-fles, as we dubbed them, when he came over and sat next to me. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he kissed my neck. I flushed, as I always have, and probably always will.

'We need to talk about it,' he whispered softly, and my hands began to shake.

'I know.'

'Where did you want to start?' he asked quietly, and I placed the fork and knife down.

'With the baby.'

'But you said –'

'And then you mentioned adopting,' I remind him, and looking in his eyes I see that spark again.

'Then we need to decide a couple things,' he says, authoritative, taking control, knowing that I'm liable to fall apart at any moment. 'First of all,' he continues, getting up and moving to the papers on the coffee table, we need to choose an –'

'You've researched this?' I ask disbelievingly.

'I couldn't sleep,' he says quickly, as though it was a bad thing. 'Anyways, we need to pick a gender and age group.' He looks at me for the answer, as though we are still in Hogwarts, working on a Potion's assignment.

'What would you like?' I ask him.

'Whatever you want,' he says, as though it was a non-issue. I sigh.

'How about,' I say slowly, hoping that this works, 'you write down what you want, I write down what I want, and we pick the median.'

'Sounds good,' he says, handing me a piece of paper and a pen.

We sit in silence for about five minutes before we look up at each other.

'Girl,' I say.

'Boy.'

'Toddler.'

'Adolescent.'

I sigh. Once again, our views are completely different.

'There's more adolescent boys in need of parents,' Draco says matter-of-factly. I smile. He knows I'll cave no matter what.

'Okay, where do we sign?'

Draco grins.

Two hours later, with the adoption papers finally filled out, Draco collapsed next to me on the couch. He was so adorable, with his blonde hair messed up, standing on end after he had run his hands through it so many times when we disagreed on something. As I laid myself down on his chest, he wrapped his arms around me. I always feel safe when he does this, and so I reach up to kiss him lightly on the lips. He pulls me closer, which only leads to more kissing.

'Let's go down the hall,' he whispers against my lips as we both gasp for breath.

'Okay,' I whisper back, pulling him up off the couch. We stumble blindly down the hall to our bedroom and fall upon the mattress.


	3. Chapter 3

'Why do you always spoil me like this?' I ask him the next morning after coming down to the smell of sizzling bacon and eggs.

'Because I love you,' he says, kissing me on the cheek and putting a plate in front of me.

'Not because you're taking pity on me?' I ask, suspicious.

Draco looks outraged. 'Of course not!'

'Then why?' I ask again, taking a sip of my orange juice. I hate the pulp, but Draco can't live without it.

'Well, I guess it's just my way of saying 'Happy Anniversary'.'

I nearly spit out my orange juice. How could I have forgotten? Two years ... oh, how am I going to explain myself?

He chuckles to himself, and I scowl at him. How dare he think he's superior to me!

'So,' he asks finally, after settling himself across the table from myself, 'what do I get?'

I gape at him.

'Isn't it enough just having me?' I ask slyly, pretending to look disappointed.

And it works.

'I'm so sorry!' he exclaims, thinking he's hurt me. It takes all of my self control to keep from smiling.

Then he catches on.

'Why you ...'

'No!' I shriek, jumping up and running out of the kitchen.

He runs after me, and our breakfast lay forgotten as we play chase through the house. It isn't until noon that we finally lay down, panting, holding each other close. And even though I feel safe, I also feel so very vulnerable, and I know he feels the same way.

'We have more papers to fill out,' he whispers into my hair. I sigh heavily.

'Can't we leave it till later?' I plead.

'I suppose,' he says with a sigh, and kisses my head again.

'Good. I want to spend as much time as possible like this with you.'

'Until?'

'Until the stork comes to our door with a bundle of joy,' I giggle.

'You mean a bundle of thirteen years.'

'Same difference.'


	4. Chapter 4

'And what happens to all your clothes?'

'Charity.'

'Even your shoes?'

'I won't be wearing them, will I?'

Draco shrugs. I know he hates this as much as I do, but the doctor called this morning and gave me even worse news. Three months isn't enough time at all. Bugger.

'Okay,' he sighs, moving down the list our lawyer made up for us to consider, 'what about your assets?'

'I don't know ... you decide.'

He sighs again. 'I can't do that for you, love. It's your will.'

'How am I supposed to divide it?'

'Who do you want it to go to?'

'You, our son, Harry and his family, Ron and his family, the Weasley's, my parents, Neville, and Remus.'

'All even?'

'Yes.'

He nods, and I remind myself to thank him later for all this work.

And then the door bell rings.

'I'll get it,' Draco says, standing up before I can.

He walks out of the room, and I just sit there. All of a sudden I feel weak - just like the doctor said I would. I can feel the tears threatening to come from my eyes, but I hold them back.

'Welcome!' Draco exclaims from the door, and it causes me to turn in my seat.

'Welcome'? What is he on about this time? And then it hits me as two people walk into the living room alongside Draco. One is a woman with red, curly, bushy hair, and the other is a boy. Our boy.

'Mrs. Malfoy?' the woman asks, reaching her hand out for my own, and I take it, still sitting, and Draco gives me a look from behind the woman's back.

'Yes,' I say, breathlessly.

'I'm Serena Belaque, from the adoption agency.'

I know I'm beaming, but I just can't help it. 'Hello,' I say, at a loss for words. I see Draco try to hide his laughter at me.

'This is Anthony Short,' she continues, gesturing to the boy in the doorway. He looks up shyly, and I smile at him.

'Hi, Anthony,' I say.

'Hello, Mrs. Malfoy,' he recites. How many of these kinds of things has he gone through? I wonder to myself.

'We just have a few things to discuss before you both get custody of Anthony,' Selena continues, falling into a routine.

On cue, Anthony walks over, sitting down next to me on the loveseat. Draco hovers just behind me, his hand my shoulder, while Selena takes the armchair, spreading out papers onto the already paper strewn coffee table.

'Now,' she says, handing me a piece of heavy parchment, 'that's his birth certificate. His mother died during birth, his father was killed a year later by Death Eaters. He lived with his grandparents until –'

'I was nine years old,' he continued softly, staring down at his shoelaces. 'Then oma died. Opa couldn't handle me, and he sent me off to my aunt's house. She never cared about me, and I never had any friends because she never let me go out. Once I arrived at Hogwarts, she went on a permanent vacation to somewhere. They haven't found her. McGonagall sent me to the agency where I've lived with nine previous foster parents. Unfortunately, none of them would keep me for long. My last stay was a month long, and I've been living in the orphanage since.'

'We've had to take him out of classes for today for this meeting,' Selena said, apparently not noticing the tears in Anthony's eyes. 'So, will you take him?'

'Of course,' Draco and I say in unison. I can tell from the tone in his voice that he is unimpressed by this woman's attitude.

'Good,' she continues, ignoring Draco's scowl. 'Which name will he take?'

'Whatever he wants,' I say quietly as Draco turns around furiously and walks to the other end of the room.

'Well, you can deal with that later, I suppose,' she says nonchalantly. Anthony looks up at Draco, who lets out a very exasperated sigh. It's all I can do to keep from laughing at the expression on the young boy's face. He looks to me for an answer, and all I can do is shrug. He smiles for the first time, and I'm taken away.

'Who will take custody of him?'

'Draco Malfoy,' I say automatically

'Not you?' Anthony whispers to me as Selena scribbles on her many forms.

'We'll tell you later,' I whisper, putting my hand on his own.

'Do you have any questions?' she asks finally, positioned on picking up her papers.

'Does he bring with him any inheritance?' Draco asks from the doorway.

'No,' she answers, sounding almost bored as she begins to put the papers back into her bag. 'All the money bequeathed to him was used in supplies, clothes, and food.'

'Okay,' Draco says, coming back over to the loveseat. I chance a glance at Anthony and find his face creased with anger. Squeezing his hand, I shoot him a questioning look. He shakes his head slightly in response.

'I'll drop these off the ministry,' Selena is saying as Draco walks her to the door. 'Good day.'

And he slams the door in her face.

'What a witch,' he says.

Anthony and I only laugh.


	5. Chapter 5

'So, you don't have anything?'

'Only what I have on my back and in my trunk at school.'

'We're going to have to see your trunk then.'

Anthony sighs. 'They all gave me away because they couldn't afford new clothes and books ... and because I was too old.'

'Well, you're lucky you found us,' Draco says cheerfully, still filling out forms in the living room while Anthony helps me prepare dinner.

'No kidding,' he mumbles.

'Hey, don't worry about it. We'll keep you fed, clothed, and warm,' I tell him pointing to the cupboard of plates.

'Or cold,' Draco shouts from the living room. 'Depends how you like it.'

'Is lukewarm too much to ask?' he asks cheekily.

'Ha, ha, ha,' I laugh sarcastically, hitting him lightly with the tea towel.

'It might be,' Draco shouts. I only shake my head.

'Did you want us to call you Anthony?' I ask as Draco makes an appearance, the aroma of shepherd's pie drawing him to the hubbub of activity.

'Or is Anton okay?' Draco asks. Anthony pulls a face.

'Not Anton,' he says, shaking his head vigorously. 'Tony is fine.'

Draco and I both laugh. Thank the Lord we got a funny one. He's so full of life I can barely stand it ... but I'll try.

Tony's quiet for a moment, while our laughter subsides.

'Can I take your name?' he asks quickly.

Taking both Draco and myself by surprise, neither of us answers for a moment.

'Are you sure?' I ask him. 'I mean, you don't want to keep your –'

'No,' he says, almost immediately. 'I want you to be my parents.'

Tears fill my eyes, and Draco is beaming.

'Sure,' Draco whispers, and I can tell he's on the verge of tears as well. 'We'll go down to the ministry and change it.'

Tony is beaming. I can tell that he really likes it here, and I'm glad. So glad I have to turn around and wipe my eyes on the tea towel.

'Don't cry!' Tony exclaims, wrapping me in a hug.

'I'm just – just – so – so happy!'

Draco laughs at my statement, and I can't help but laugh as well. Soon we're all laughing, and for a long time, none of us can stop.


	6. Chapter 6

While Draco and Tony are gone to the Ministry, I'm trying to get his room in order. However, painting a bedroom all by yourself when you're in my state is increasingly difficult as the minutes wear on. I'm just glad Draco isn't here to see me so defeated. I'm so close to giving up, but this is what I wanted, what I needed.

A knock at the door interrupts me, and I'm thankful for the excuse to take a break.

As I pull open the door, there is a salesman standing on the steps. Great. I just love these guys.

'Good afternoon, ma'am,' he begins, pulling out a clipboard, full with questions, prices, and places to sign.

'Good afternoon,' I say, trying oh so hard to be polite, but it's hard when his brother was here yesterday. 'I'm sorry, but I'm actually very –'

'Busy?' he interrupts. 'That's okay, this will only take a moment of your –'

I zone out, watching this guy's lips move. I notice he's wearing a retainer, which gives him a slight lisp. But that's okay, he is kind of cute. Not as cute as Draco, and much more annoying.

'Ma'am?' I hear him say, but my vision has gone slightly blurry, and I feel cold sweat on my face. 'Ma'am? Are you okay?'

No, I'm not okay, dumb ass. Oh God, this can't be the end. The doctor said I had at least three more months.

And now his voice is filling my head again.

'Ma'am? Ma'am, the ambulance is on its way. Just stay with me.'

I can hear the panic in his voice. I wish I could open my eyes.

'Draco,' I whisper, getting his attention.

'Is he your husband?'

I nod, which is the most I can do.

'Is he at work?'

I shake my head.

'Well, I'll – um – I'll leave a note for him, okay?'

Now I can't even nod my head. I feel like I'm drowning. Drowning in my pain. Oh God, they never told me it would hurt this much.

And now the sirens are filling my ears. Can't they turn those off?

'Ma'am,' says a different man, no doubt a paramedic. 'Ma'am, could you tell me your name?'

'Ma'am,' I whisper, and I hear the other couple paramedics laugh at me. Draco always said I had a sense of humour.

I hear a car door slam, and someone running up the walk.

'Hermione!'

Oh, thank God it's Draco. I feel him take my hand. I must be safe now, so I start to relax.

'Excuse me –?'

'Draco Malfoy. I'm her husband.'

'Okay Mr. Malfoy, we have to take her to the hospital. Do you know why she might have collapsed?'

Now I feel myself getting slid onto the stretcher, and Draco is answering the question. Oh, Tony. He's going to need to get all this explained to him, but when? What if I don't make it?

'Mrs. Malfoy, we're going to give you an I.V.' Thank God this doctor knows what he's doing. Draco is still holding my hand, and we're in the ambulance, off to the hospital.

'Herm, you can relax now,' Draco whispers in my ear. 'It's okay. You need to relax.'

And so I do, but I'm scared of not coming back.

'Where's Tony?' I ask hoarsely.

'He had to go back to Hogwarts. McGonagall took him from the Ministry.'

'We have to –'

'Tell him, I know. But let's get you stable before we do anything like that.'


	7. Chapter 7

I wake up in a hospital room, with Draco sitting beside me, asleep. I'm glad I'm back, and not somewhere in the unknown. Lost. As I gaze at Draco, I realize that he was the one that found me. I didn't find him, as much as he'd like to admit it. I might have saved him, but he found me. And I love being found.

The clock on the wall reads quarter to four. I don't know if it's a.m. or p.m. Now as I'm looking around the room, I notice bouquets of flowers. One of the closest I can reach, and I pick off the card.

'Get back to us soon, Hermy. Love, Harry.'

Get back to us soon? Was I in a coma? And if so, how long have I been in here for?

'Draco,' I whisper, and my voice is hoarse. It's hard to get out those two syllables, as though I haven't been talking for months. Months?

'Draco,' I try to say, but it still comes out as a whisper. Less hoarse, this is good.

God, that guy sure knows how to sleep. Mind you, he's probably been sitting there for -

The card from Harry is still in my hand, and Draco is within whipping distance. Grinning evilly, I snap the card and it hits him smack on the forehead. That worked.

'You're awake!' he says, and comes right next to me, taking my hand.

'So are you!' I laugh hoarsely, and he hands me a glass of water. 'How long have been here?'

'Only a week,' he says, and I can see the relief in his eyes.

'What day is it?'

'July fifth. Tony is at home sleeping.'

'What time is it?'

'Sometime in the early morning.'

'Does Tony –?'

'Know? Yes. The doctor told him everything, because you were in this coma, and I was –'

'I know,' I whisper, and a single tear rolls down his cheek. He wipes it away hurriedly and gives a shaky laugh.

'I shouldn't be crying,' he says, but it only bring on more tears.

'Come here,' I whisper, pulling him down on top of me, kissing him lightly.

'I missed you,' he whispers, and his voice is now shaking uncontrollably.

'Me too,' I whisper, wiping the tears off his face.

'We have to bring a doctor or a nurse in here to examine you, now that you're awake,' he says, sitting up and pressing a button on the wall.

This time I only nod, the emotions in me running wild.

The nurse rushes in, smiling at me.

'I'm glad to see you're awake!' she exclaims, beginning to check my vitals.

'So am I,' I say. 'When can I go home?'

Something of a frown crosses her face. 'Your doctor will have to come in later today to check you over and then he'll tell when it's safe to leave.'

I nod again. Damn. I want to go home now!

'I'm going to go call Harry and Ron, okay?' Draco asks.

'Yes! Hurry!' I laugh, and the nurse shakes her head at me.

'Did you want something to eat?' she asks, and now I can feel the hunger almost eating at my insides.

'Yes! Hurry!' I repeat, making her laugh out loud.

I lean back on the pillows as Draco comes back in, beaming.

'They're coming later today,' he tells me. 'Remus picked up Harry's phone, and he sounded ecstatic.'

'So am I,' I whisper, and he kisses me again.


	8. Chapter 8

Thankfully, the doctor lets me go back home in a couple days. As I walk through the front door of our house, I see Tony in the living room with -

'A girl?' I whisper to Draco, who leads me to the kitchen.

'A friend,' he says. 'I told them they could study here while I went to –'

'Study?' I ask incredulously. Draco shrugs. 'Even we didn't study in the middle of summer.'

Draco grins mischievously as he puts the kettle on.

'It can't hurt, can it?' he asks innocently.

At that moment, Tony slides into the kitchen in his socks.

'Hey mum,' he says, kissing me on the cheek. 'I'm glad you're home.'

'So am I,' I reply, sneaking a glance into the living room.

'What was your maiden name?' he asks, rummaging through the cupboards, finally pulling out a bag of pretzels.

'Why?'

''Cause Kris thinks that you used to be –'

'Kris?' Draco asks, leaning against the counter.

Tony sighs.

'Yes, Kris. I'll introduce you later. She thinks you're Hermione Granger.'

'What's so great about Hermione Granger?' Draco asks, winking at me.

'She's only one of the greatest students to go through that school!' he says exasperatedly. 'And now she's pretty much disappeared off the radar! Even McGonagall won't tell us what she's doing now.'

'What do you think she's doing now?' Draco asks.

'Probably off in Africa finding a cure for cancer of something,' the girl, Kris, says, coming into the kitchen.

I can't help but laugh.

'You look just like her picture on the third corridor!' she says, and I'm shocked to know that people actually look at the pictures.

'Well, I didn't like Africa, so I decided to stay here,' I say, stirring sugar into my tea.

'You're Hermione Granger?' they both ask. These kids are crazy. No wonder I wanted to have some.

'The one and only,' I say, but as I say it I can feel the fatigue coming over me.

'Don't you have studying to do?' Draco asks, seeing my sudden weakness.

'Yeah,' Tony says blankly, looking at me like I'm a superstar.

As they leave the kitchen, Draco turns to me.

'Did you want to go lay down?'

'No,' I say, shaking my head, trying to get rid of the pain coming on.

Thankfully, the phone rings, and Draco gets up to answer it.

'Hello?' I lay my head on the kitchen table.

'Yeah, we're home now.' The pain is slowly leaving.

'No, tomorrow would be better.' I'm so hungry.

'Your place?' Even macaroni and cheese would be good right about now.

'Okay, we'll be there.' His tea is going to be cold if he doesn't get off the phone.

'All three of us,' he laughs. 'Bye.'

'Who was it?'

'Harry. We're having dinner at his place tomorrow night, okay?'

'Yeah, sounds good.'

'Are you up for it?'

I shoot him a look. He said he wouldn't treat me any different, but I guess after today's incident, that view changed.

'Of course I'm up to it'" I say indignantly.

'Sorry," he whispers. 'I just don't want you to –'

'Neither do I.'

He's silent now, and I know he won't push the issue.

'Are you sure?' Tony whispers in the living room.

Draco and I glance at each other. He might have only been ours for a couple weeks, but he's still ours, and we're his parents.

'Yeah, okay,' she whispers.

They come into the kitchen, hand-in-hand.

'Mum, Dad,' Tony begins, and I can see the dull red flush creeping up his neck, 'this is Kris.'

'Hello, Kris,' I say politely as Draco nods. Both of us are smiling, which relaxes the new couple.

'Hi,' she says quietly, blushing almost as much as Tony is.

'Er, we've been dating for a year now,' Tony explains.

'Okay,' I say, hoping that he's not going to say that he's going to marry her.

There's a very awkward silence in the kitchen now, and I can tell that Draco is finding out what is on his son's mind.

'Er, we're just going to go for ice cream,' Tony continues, and Draco smiles.

'Bring your mother back some,' he says, taking a ten pound note from his pocket.

'Vanilla,' I say as Tony nods and leads Kris out the front door.

'And the verdict is?' I ask him as the screen door closes.

'Innocent,' Draco says, and I can tell he is a little surprised.

'Got ourselves a good one, did we?'

Draco smiles. 'No thanks to you, miss toddler, girl, blah, blah –'

And I silence him by kissing him.


	9. Chapter 9

'What are your plans for today?'

'Nothing,' Tony shrugs, wolfing down his French toast.

'Kris isn't coming over?' I ask suspiciously, grinning.

He shakes his head, smiling at me. 'Nah, she has a family thing to go to.'

'Good.'

'What?' He looks up shock plastered all over his face and it's all I can do to not laugh.

'We have our own family thing to go to today.'

'Family –?'

'What are you? A next door neighbour?' I laugh, causing him to blush.

'Well, I just thought –'

'Not any old Joe is in my will,' I whisper, leaning on the counter, looking at him.

He blushes deeper, and I'm reminded strongly of Ron.

'Ready?' Draco asks from the door.

We both look up at him and immediately start laughing. Well, I do, while Tony merely chokes on his breakfast.

'What?' he asks innocently, but I can tell by the look in his eyes that he planned it. 'Am I not dressed appropriately enough for the beach?'

I just shake my head at him with his flowered beach towel around his shoulders and boldly striped trunks.

'Are we going with him?' Tony asks jokingly, and Draco hits him playfully up-side the head.

'You should be honoured to be going with me,' he states boldly, now walking like a king in a cape.

'Oh, we are,' I giggle as he stuffs a piece of French toast in his mouth whole.

'Have manners, dad.'

Draco merely grins.

Tony leaves his plate in the sink as he wanders up the stairs, calling, 'I want my trunks to match dads!'

Draco and I laugh as I continue to pack our picnic lunch.

'Are you happy?' he whispers in my ear, wrapping his arms around my waist.

'I couldn't be happier.'

'Really?'

I turn my head to look at him. 'In my current state, I'm on cloud nine.'

And he beams.

'Will you get the ice packs out of the freezer?' I ask him.

'Why don't you just use magic?' he asks, obliging, and I frown at him.

'You know why. It's the same reason you can't use it. Ever.'

As I take the packs from him, I notice that he's frowning slightly.

'What did you do?' I ask him softly.

'Nothing,' he says quickly. Too quickly.

'Don't lie to me.'

'I had to.'

'You just signed our death certificates.'

'Don't say that!'

Now he's looking at me like I'm the bad guy.

'It's true!' I shout back at him, throwing the ice pack in my hand at him. 'You know perfectly well what will happen! It's happened before!'

'I had to!'

'Why?'

He doesn't answer. And for good reason.

'What's going on?'

'Nothing, Tony,' I whisper, turning back to the picnic basket on the counter.

'That's a lie.'

'Don't talk to your –'

We both look at Draco.

'I'm sorry,' we all mutter at the same time. Looking up at each other, we all smile.

'Go get ready, mum,' Tony says, moving forward towards me. 'We'll take of this.'

'No magic,' I whisper in Draco's ear as I leave, walking up the stairs.


	10. Chapter 10

'Are we there yet?'

Draco sighs. 'I thought you were supposed to be somewhat mature?'

'I thought this ride was going to be short.'

Draco rolls his eyes.

'Five more minutes,' I say, turning in my seat to look at Tony, stubborn, arms crossed, in the back seat.

'You said that ten minutes ago.'

'No, I said fifteen minutes ten minutes ago.'

'You did not.'

'Did too.'

'Did not.'

'Did too.'

'Look! A cow!' Draco shouts, causing Tony and I to laugh.

'You're such a loser, dad,' Tony gasps between laughs.

'I try. Really hard. I'm training as we speak,' Draco says, grinning at me.

I grin back.

'Sand!'

'Why are you so excited?' I ask, turning back to look at Tony, who now has his nose pressed against the window of the car.

'I've never been to the beach before,' he whispers, and I notice a dull flush creep around his ears.

'This is going to be funner than I thought,' Draco smiles.

'Funner isn't a word, loser-dad,' Tony says, still staring out the window.

'Why loser-dad?' Draco asks, trying to frown as he looks for a parking space. 'Why not-coolest-dude-in-the-whole-wide-world-dad? Or he's-my trippin'-boo-daddy-o? Or –'

'Shut up, loser-dad,' Tony says, jumping out of the car.

'I agree with him,' I whisper, leaning over to Draco and brushing my lips with his before I get out.

'Sod off,' he whispers tantalizingly in my ear.

'Would you two quit snogging and get out here?' Tony calls, glaring at us through the windshield.

'Parent-hood, my arse.'

'Shut up, Draco.'

'You shut up,' Draco whispers out of the side of his mouth, eyes wide and cold. 'Get on the floor.'

I obey silently, and Draco curses under his breath.

'Are they talking to him?' I ask, unable to see his face.

'Yeah,' he breathes.

'Draco, what a surprise,' an oily voice says, and I can tell he's at the driver's side window. The bastard.

'Why would it be a surprise?' Draco asks loftily, easily hiding his fear and anger.

'Well, shouldn't you be with your dying wife?'

'You mean dead,' Draco says coldly, and it sends shivers down my spine.

'Oh, I don't think you're being completely honest with me, son.'

'Son?' Draco asks the man coldly. 'I'm not your family. You made that quite clear when you packed my bags for me.'

'A rash decision on my part,' the man says, attempting to be apologetic but failing miserably.

'Rash doesn't come close to describing it, Lucius.'

'Tsk, tsk, Draco. You shouldn't be speaking to your father like that.'

'As far as I'm concerned, you were no father to me at all.'

'You break my heart,' the man says, and I have to try to contain a derisive snort. Heart? I didn't know he knew about those.

'My wife is dead. What more do you want from me now?'

'Your wife. I know she's hiding there with you.'

Draco falls silent. Not a good sign. The passenger door opens, but my wand is already clenched in my hand.

'You're not going anywhere, mudblood,' the masked man hisses, and he disarms me in a second. I guess I'm a little rusty.

'You bastard,' I breathe, willing my mind to go blank, but it won't. There's only one thing I can think of now.

'Where is he?'

Got it. He'll never know now.

'Who?' I ask innocently, and behind the mask I see his face fall.

'Never mind. Get out slowly and move to the black Mercedes.'

'Expensive taste.'

'Shut up while you're at it,' he hisses.

I obey. I've been through this before. The magic inflicted on me has alerted the Order. I know how the system works.

And then I see him.

And I lose control.

'Get the boy!' the man yells as Tony and I make eye contact, he already has his wand out, looking fierce.

Two other Death Eaters jump out of the black Mercedes parked twenty feet away.

And then they freeze.

'Okay boys, let them go or get sent to Azkaban in a second. Your choice,' a familiar, friendly, tired voice says from the driver's side of the car.

In an instant, all the Death Eaters disapparate, and the Mercedes lays abandoned.

'Are you okay?' Tonks asks, rushing up to me from where the voice had spoken.

And there's Remus.

'I'm fine,' I reply, giving her a hug. 'How are you doing?'

'Peachy,' she grins from behind tight magenta curls. 'Off to the beach?'

'With the family,' I grin, looking over to where Draco, Tony, and Remus are speaking together.

'I'm so happy for you,' she says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and leading me back to my men.

'So am I,' I say softly, breaking away from her and rushing up to Tony.

'Are you okay, mum?' he asks as I embrace him. And he embraces me.

'I'm fine,' I whisper, pulling back and looking at his face closer. 'You don't look well.'

'That was scary.'

'Hopefully it won't happen again,' Remus says, shooting a pointed look at Draco, who is blushing.

'I should bloody well break it in half,' he whispers, and I wrap an arm around him.

'It's been hard for you,' I say softly, wiping away a tear that has slid down his cheek. 'And it's okay.'

'At least it's not the first time,' Tonks adds.

'That was scary,' Draco says, grinning slightly.

'And incredibly hilarious,' Remus laughs, still sounding incredibly tired. 'They ran like chickens with their heads cut –'

'Are you okay, Rem?' I ask suddenly, look at him seriously.

Tears fill his eyes. Damn.

'You obviously haven't heard,' he says softly, looking at us with sorrowful eyes.

'Heard what?' Draco asks, wrapping his arm around me to keep me standing.

Remus sighs heavily. Now I know it's bad.

'Spit it out,' I whisper.

'Arthur and Molly are dead,' he says softly, tears spilling down his cheeks.


	11. Chapter 11

"- They did so much for her and Harry during school. Like a second mother. A second family. And then when her parents passed away - natural causes, thank Merlin - they sort of adopted her. It was all so sweet. And they both accepted me right away. Well, Arthur did, Molly took a little convincing, but I did the dishes once and she never forgot."

Tony laughs. "It sounds so exciting."

"It was. The whole time we spent together after school ended was amazing. I hated myself for the longest time for teasing Ron and Ginny like I did. But they all forgave me, and now -"

"There was nothing you could do, dad."

I hear Draco sniff. A warm breeze washes over me. We must be on the beach. I open my eyes briefly and find the sky above me swirls of colours. The underside of the umbrella.

"I was going to do something really special for them on their wedding anniversary. Next week. But now it's too late to do anything."

"It's never too late," I croak, sitting up on one arm and looking at my men in front of me, turned around in disbelief.

"I'm so glad you're awake," Draco grins, but I see hischeeks have been stained with tears.

"I'm so glad you haven't killed yourself."

Draco turns his head, staring back out to the ocean.

"It's not your fault. Did Remus say how it happened?"

"She went to go get him from work one night to surprise him. They were already there waiting for her. He was already dead, the coroner said. He had been dead for hours before she arrived. None of them knew anything about it. Otherwise he wouldn't have gone to work."

"Oh."

I don't know what else to say. They were like my family after mum and dad died. They accepted Draco so easily. They accepted me so easily after I had announced my love for Draco. I don't know how much they knew I cared. I didn't know how to ever tell them how much it meant to have them there for me through the years. And Draco's right. It's too late.

But it's not.

Here's my epiphany.

"Let's go camping."

"What?" Tony asks disbelievingly.

Draco is looking at me like he knows what I'm saying.

"Let's go camping," I repeat, wilder this time, sitting all the way up.

"That's cr-"

"Okay."

I smile at Draco.

"And we'll take all our old school friends and their families," he adds.

"And you can bring Kris," I tell Tony. He's still looking at us as though we're from another planet, but I can tell he's going to want to.

"When will we go?"

"When the laundry is finished," I smile, getting up and dusting the sand off me. "Anyone for a swim?"

As I run off to the waves I distinctly hear Tony ask Draco "what is she on?"

"Life," was the response. And it's true. If I only have less than six months to live, I want to live it to the fullest, with the people I love. I hear the other two splashing behind me, and I turn to be embraced by Draco. Tony joins the hug and we fall, splashing and yelling, into the on coming waves. If only Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Blaise were here. It would be just like old times.

A horn honks from the beach and the three of us look up. No kidding. There they are, the girls and Blaise running into the water to join us.

"You're alive!" Ginny yells, laughing as she pushes me back into the water.

"Yeah," I gasp, grinning from ear to ear at her. "What did you do to your hair?"

Ginny gets up and twirls for us to have the full view.

"Do you like it?" she asks, running her hand through the wet spikes. "I needed a change for the summer."

"It's a change, alright," Draco smiles. He slaps Harry and Ron on their backs as they join the rest of us in the ocean.

"Good to see you guys again," Harry says, grinning at Tony especially.

"I can't believe you didn't invite us!" Ron exclaims, and Luna slaps his arm.

"It was a family outing," I say, knowing full well that that won't pass for them.

"And we aren't family?" Blaise asks, laughing, as he pushes me down into the water.

"It was immediate fam–" Draco begins, but Ginny pushes him into the water before he can finish his sentence. I can't stop laughing.

"Oh yeah," Ginny grins, trying to fend off Harry who has begun to splash her, "because we're all so distant."

I can see Tony out of the corner of my eye, laughing at us all.

"What are you laughing at?" Luna asks him suspiciously, and he takes off through the water. We all watch Luna take him down into deeper water, and we all cheer.

"Argh! Not cool!" he shouts as we all run out to them, dog piling and splashing in the waves.


	12. Chapter 12

"No," Harry says sadly, shovelling broccoli into his mouth, "that weekend doesn't work. I have this stupid conference thing to go to."

"If it's so stupid, then why not skip it?" Ron asks, attacking his mashed potatoes.

"If I don't go, I'll lose my job."

Tony looks up in outrage. "But you're Harry Potter! They can't fire you, can they?"

Harry laughs. "Yeah, actually, they can. Sucks to be me, eh?"

I sigh. It always sucks to be Harry Potter, I want to say, but I bite my tongue.

"We need to set a date for this camping trip," Draco says again, for the third time, I believe.

More mumbling is heard around the table.

"What about this weekend?" I ask.

They all look up at me as though I've gone mad. Which I sort of have.

"Okay," Luna says brightly. I beam at her.

"Yeah, that works, I guess," Blaise chimes in, taking a sip of wine.

"It works for me," Ginny adds.

"Then it's settled," I announce, laying my fork and knife down. "Meet at our house on Friday and we'll have a weekend of fun!"

Tony starts to laugh, as does Draco. And before any of us know it, we're all sitting around our tuna casserole, laughing our bloody heads of at everything and nothing.

Tony stops laughing long enough to lean over to me and ask me the vital question.

"Can Kris still come?"

I nod, still giggling, and he smiles. Strangely enough, it reminds me of Draco's smile.

Tony is interrogating us as we drive to the reserved campsite early the next morning. He says it's because he wants to know about the family, but even I never knew some of the things about my parents that I'm telling him.

"So, what is so ironic about you two?" he asks, leaning forward in between the two front seats.

"Have you ever read 'Romeo and Juliet'?" Draco asks, his eyes intent on the road ahead.

"Have you?" I ask, surprised that Draco would have read a tragedy by Shakespeare.

"I saw the movie," he mumbles, keeping his eyes on the road as his cheeks begin to burn.

"The one with –?"

"Leo, yes," he snaps, and Tony snorts with laughter.

"That was such a cheesy movie!" I exclaim. "Why would you watch it?"

"My mother said it reminded her of our relationship," he replies, and Tony's eyes widen excitedly.

"Why?"

I sigh as I reply. "Draco was 'my only love sprung from my only hate'."

"And vice versa," Draco adds, passing a semi.

"How?"

"Well," Draco begins, "I was raised to hate muggle-borns, and I did, until I fell smitten with Hermione."

I know I'm blushing, but that's okay.

"I'm muggle-born," I continue, "and hated this git for three years until –"

"You hit me," Draco cuts in, and he's smiling.

"It felt good," I declare, and Tony laughs.

"It felt good when I called you a mudblood," Draco says, grinning.

"You didn't!" Tony exclaims, and he looks very upset.

"Everyday," I reply, and I can tell that Tony is shocked that I'm smiling.

"So how did you two get together?"

"Secretly," I reply, grinning mischievously. "Every Tuesday night I would tell my friends that I was going to the library. They never wanted to come, so it was safe for me to head down to one of the abandoned dungeons."

"But you were Head Girl!" Tony shouts, obviously taken aback.

"I also had a best friend with an invisibility cloak," I retort, winking.

Tony is knocked for six, and Draco is shaking in the driver's seat with laughter.

"And then?" Tony prompts.

"And then every night, this git," I say, pointing to Draco, now wiping tears of laughter out of his eyes, "would be there waiting for me, and we – er – got to know each other better."

"You mean to tell me, you would have s—"

"NO!"

I know I'm red now, and Draco's laughing isn't helping any.

"Then what –?"

"Look, that's the office to check in," I interrupt. "And end of discussion. You might be adopted, but you're still my son, and there are some things I'm sure you would rather not know."

"I agree," Draco states. "Now let's camp!"


	13. Chapter 13

As we leave the campsite Draco is smiling and Tony seems exhausted in the backseat. Of course, we all should be tired as the weekend was the most fun I have had in a long time. The only pains I had were in the night, but I don't dare tell Draco this, as he had been shooting me worried glances throughout the festivities. Now he turns to me, a broad, satisfied smile on his face, his grey eyes twinkling.

"What?" I ask suspiciously as he turns his gaze back to the road, his grin growing wider.

"Nothing," he sighs majestically. "I'm just happy for Harry and Ginny."

"Have they been trying for a while or something?" Tony asks tiredly from the backseat.

I laugh slightly, laying my head back. "Not trying, but they've been destined from the start to have a family together."

"Oh," he says quietly. Then, "Think it'll be bald when it comes out?"

A look of incredulity comes over Draco's face as he looks at me. I shake my head in disbelief.

"What?"

"Well," he reasons, "their kid is going to have to live up to Harry, a.k.a. 'The Golden Boy's'' reputation. I'm thinking it better be really shiny when it comes out."

I glance at Draco and we all burst out laughing. For a long time we can't stop. I grow more tired by the minute. As we turn onto another highway, Tony and I fall quiet and Draco begins to ramble on about the Potter child.

"I suppose it will have to be perfect," he says more to himself than to us. "Mind, there's no Dark Lord to vanquish now, but people still need saving, don't they?"

"Sure," I sigh, my eyes falling closed against the setting sun.

"Well, Harry and Ginny will good parents. Or at least Ginny will, since her mother and father were good to her. But Harry never had real parents. I guess he'll treat the kid better than he was treated. Mind –"

"Dear," I sigh, "you're not making any sense."

"I am though," Draco says half-heartedly, not knowing what he's saying as he reaches down to turn on the radio and James Taylor comes softly through the speakers.

The music lulls me to sleep, and I dream. I dream of Harry and Ginny holding a child. It must be a girl, because it is clad in pink pyjamas. Although her hair is red, I feel positive her eyes are a bright green – like Harry's. And I hear them regard it as Hermione. Standing in a small kitchen, pots and dishes piled high, I can't help but wish to stay in this dream and just watch them. Harry seems happier than ever, and Ginny is merely glowing as she hands the little Hermione over to her daddy. They seem so happy, and even the baby is giggling as Harry holds her above her head. The nervousness in Ginny's eyes is hidden behind the sheer glee. A knock comes on the small door and the one on the other side opens it slowly, calling to the little girl. Warmth rises in me as Draco and Tony enter, each smiling, and Tony runs to Harry and the baby. Draco moves over to the sink, laughing and chatting with Ginny as he dries the dishes. It's then that I notice the kitchen is my own; our own. But a steady beeping fills my head, and a misplaced shuffling sound interrupts the happy scene.

Opening my eyes, I am no longer in the happy kitchen, but in a dimly lit hospital room. Draco sits beside me, almost asleep, staring across the room at nothing. I hear a door close as the nurse leaves.

"Draco?"

He looks up, grey eyes filled with fatigue and apprehension. "You're awake," he sighs, grabbing hold of my hand.

"Yeah."

"Doctor says – he says you can go home for – for –"

"As long as I have left," I sigh, tears coming to my eyes.

"It'll be okay," he intones, his hand moving across my cheek. "But the sooner we get home the sooner Tony will be relieved."

"Get the doctor then," I say quietly, the tears ceasing to spill.

Draco smiles as he stands up slowly.

"You're so brave," he breathes.

In less than two hours I'm leaving the hospital.

My days pass on, and I have everything I had wished for as a child. A fantastic husband and the most wonderful son a mother could ever ask for. My family is as complete as I could ever want it, and even more so with my "extended" family. We all spend a good part of the day together, whether it is going to the beach or just having a picnic in the back yard. We are so much closer now than I think we ever were, and I can't get enough of it. Tony fits in as if he had always been with us. I think it is because of Tony that Draco is staying so upbeat and being as he used to, before I got sick. Sometimes I even forget that I am counting my days.

But every night, after the dishes are done and it is only the three of us left in the house, I remember again. In the beginning, I would just fall asleep and wake up in the morning. But I began to grow restless as I slept, and would toss and turn for hours, never waking up. Then the dreams began. Never imaginary, my dreams would be scenes from my past. Some were of bad time, some of good, and some of times I had foolishly taken for granted and forgotten. I discovered that the dream I had of Harry and Ginny was actually a vision, and I made a point of writing it down. I wrote them all down. And I put them all in a shoebox.

Last night I slept without tossing, but my dreams were more vivid than ever before. The doctors say that it is normal for someone in my state; and Ginny (now a Healer) says that my magic is enhancing the images, tastes, smells, and feelings I experience every night.

Shaking my head, I look around the dimly lit living room. No one is up yet, and I can just see the sun peeking though the village of houses. Pink and gold fill the sky, and it reminds me of a poem written by Robert Frost. The book containing the poem is open in my hands, and I feel sad as I look down to the pages.

_Nature's first green is gold,  
Her hardest hue to hold.  
Her early leafs a flower;  
But only so an hour.  
Then leaf subsides to leaf.  
So Eden sank to grief,  
So dawn goes down to day.  
Nothing gold can stay._

I whisper the last line as I look back out the window in time to see the leaves begin to fall from the oak trees across the street. I realize that I'm witnessing a miracle, and tears come to my eyes. It's the first of September, and Tony is going back to school. More leaves fall and it hits me that today might be the last day I would ever see him. And he's my son.

"Why are you crying, mum?"

Tony lays his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it lightly.

"I don't – I mean – I'm going to miss you."

"Oh mum," he whispers, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into his chest. "I'm going to miss you, too."

"Forever?"

"And ever and ever," he breathes, pulling back and eyeing the poetry book still clutched in my trembling hands. "Robert Frost?" he asks quietly, grinning cheekily.

I nod.

"Is it?" he asks again, actually looking into the book for the name.

I try to say 'yes', but it does not come. I can see his lips moving, but it is as though I am under water, drowning. My eyelids fall shut and I cannot see. But I can still feel him beside me.

And then he leaves.

I sway on the spot as Draco rushes into the living room, Tony, tears in his eyes, behind him. Draco catches me before I fall and lays me on the couch, kissing me frantically as though it's the end. I can feel him shaking as Tony hands him the phone, but he waves it away. As Tony begins to dial, I feel Draco's lips against my cheek and his shaky breath on my skin. I feel him whisper 'I love you.'

And I wish I could say it back.

And I lose all sense of where I am. All I know is that Draco is beside me.

And then I lose that feeling as well.


	14. Chapter 14

I wake up in hospital. I can tell just by the length of Draco's hair that it hasn't been long. His eyes aren't as tired as they would be if it had been too long. And I know what this all means. And I grab his hand with the little strength I have left, startling him.

"The doctor needs to see you," he says immediately, kissing me as he stands. "And I'll get Tony."

"Don't leave," I breathe.

"I'll be back," he whispers, gripping my hand. "I promise."

I nod, and as soon as he opens the door a doctor walks up to him. The doctor enters and the look on his face is enough to tell me these are my last moments.

After checking my vitals, the doctor finally leaves with a brave sort of smile at me. Almost immediately, Draco and Tony rush in, and I know Harry and Ron are just in the waiting room with Remus. We all try to smile at one another, but it doesn't matter. We know what's coming.

I look at Draco. Oh, I wish he won't cry, but he is, and he makes no effort to catch the tears. He grasps my left hand, running his thumb along the golden band. Visions of our wedding fill my mind as my eyes close. It's as though I am reliving it as I lie there in the hospital bed.

"Mum?"

My eyes flicker open, and Tony has his hand on top of Draco's. We probably look like the happiest family, if only there were no tears. Tony's face swims before me, and I remember when we first saw him, met him – got him.

"Herm?" Draco whispers, and my gaze shifts to him. His face doesn't swim, but I hear every word he's ever said to me. And I want more.

"Say more," I plead in a hoarse whisper. Draco runs his other hand across my cheek.

"Oh, Hermione," he says, love and sadness in each syllable.

"And?"

"Hermy, Granger, 'Moine, my love, Mrs Malfoy, my angel, honey, darling."

I can feel his hand shaking as he holds my face.

"And?"

"I can't say it," he whispers. "I won't."

"Please," I whisper, and the scene from our second year replays itself in my head.

"All of it?"

I try to nod, but can't.

"You filthy little mudblood."

And finally, the tears break from my eyes. "I love you," I whisper, hoping it isn't the last thing I say. And then I see Viktor just as he was at the end of fourth year. "Tell Viktor I love him," I implore.

"I will," he whispers, squeezing my hand.

"And –"

"Harry, Ron, Ginny, Remus –" Draco says quickly and I nod. "I will, all of them."

I can feel my breath slowing down, and someone familiar slips into the room.

"And Draco," I murmur, "and Tony –"

"Yes mum?"

"Promise me…after I'm gone…"

Tony lets out a sob, and Draco is squeezing my hand even harder.

"You'll remember me?"

"I promise," Tony blubbers, hugging me tightly.

As he lets go and wipes his eyes, I turn my gaze to Draco.

"Cross me heart," he whispers, and kisses me. As he does, I close my eyes, scenes and sounds of our love making filling my head.

I try to whisper, "I love you," but it won't come out. I'm not sure if my lips even move.

"I love you, too," I hear Draco whisper.

"I love you, mum," Anthony whispers, and my heart fills with joy.

Oh, God, I pray, thank you for letting me live in him.

I can feel the air leaving my lungs, and I know Draco will be positively howling. But he'll be okay.

And then a voice somewhere says, "Say hi to my best friends."

I will, Remus, I will.

I'm surprised there is no light like they all said there is. But there are people waiting for me. And I'm home.

**

* * *

**

**FIN**

That's he end! Thank you for all the support and sticking around and all that jazz. I really hope you enjoyed it, as it was my first attempt at a first person, present tense story, and I hope it worked. Tell me if the end made you cry, because I know I did!

**THANK YOU!**

- Jazz/Karen


End file.
